The Cleveland Browns will take the field Sunday with Johnny Manziel as their starting quarterback against the Tennessee Titans. The team announced Friday morning that Josh McCown, the starter for the team’s season opener against the New York Jets, was not cleared by doctors. According to a statement issued by the team, McCown remains in concussion protocol.
The news comes as a bit of a surprise after head coach Mike Pettine seemed confident on Thursday that McCown would be cleared. At his Thursday press conference Pettine told the media, “I don’t see, barring anything unforeseen, a reason why we wouldn’t play him.” However, just before the Browns took to the practice field Friday, the team announced the news.
McCown suffered a concussion early in the team’s season opener as he tried to dive into the end zone. Manziel sat out the team’s final two preseason games with an injured elbow, but came on in relief of McCown. While he did throw his first career touchdown pass, Manziel had three second half turnovers in the 31-10 loss. On a team that is looking for an identity and some consistency, taking care of the football will be Manziel’s highest priority. Manziel will be matched up against a Tennessee Titans team led by fellow Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. This will be the second week in a row that Mariota faces a fellow Heisman Trophy winner after facing Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.
Manziel, a second-year pro, certainly has a lot to prove in his opportunity at starting quarterback. The highly-touted, and controversial, quarterback had limited success in five appearances during a rookie season that had many (including some teammates) questioning his commitment to being a professional. Most of his headlines came from off-the-field incidents, and culminated with the player voluntarily entering an alcohol treatment facility in February. On the field, many continue to question whether Manziel, the former number 22 pick overall, has what it takes to be a quarterback in the NFL. Those doubters were given more ammunition when Manziel was not able to win the starting job this preseason over McCown, who many view as a marginal starting quarterback for most NFL teams. Manziel’s next chance to legitimize his ability as a quarterback comes Sunday.